Smartphone Lenovo K3 Note: review, specifications and reviews. Lenovo K3 Note - Specifications Pros and Cons

Meet Lenovo K3 Music Lemon. World observers have already called this gadget the killer of budget smartphones, because almost any budget device for a similar price will yield both in performance and in build quality and design in general. Lenovo K3 is intended directly for the younger generation of mobile users, because you will agree that not every adult will carry a bright yellow gadget with them. If you look from the other side, then in the mass of gray and black tones, your chosen one will look simply gorgeous and many users will give preference to bright gadgets. Lenovo K3 was not just dubbed the killer of "middle peasants", because the price tag of a smartphone is really ridiculous, especially in comparison with representatives from the Middle Kingdom.

Review Lenovo K3 Music Lemon K30-T

Hearing about the smartphone that came to me for a review, I was already blindsided, because Lemon is a lemon, and immediately in my head there was an association that there must be something sour. But there was nothing sour here, but on the contrary, the phone looks calm and balanced. Initially, Lemons were sold only in bright yellow, but after that white and black were introduced into the issue, probably for those who are afraid of this saturation, well, or simply do not fit the style. It is also worth mentioning that this is a budget smartphone, so I will rate it for its price category. Let's taste this Lenovo K3 Music Lemon.

Design:

The case is made of matte plastic, not easily soiled. For a 5-inch display, it does not look like a spatula, which is good. Ergonomically, it is comfortable, does not fall out and lies comfortably in the hand. On the screen are a 2 megapixel front camera, speaker, Lenovo logo, proximity and light sensors. And under the display there are three touch buttons: Back, home and menu, by the way, they do not have a backlight, so you have to get used to their location so as not to get lost in the dark. There is nothing on the left, on the right - the power button and the volume rocker. At the bottom there is a hole for a microphone, and at the top there are two holes: for headphones and micro usb.

On the back panel we see the main 8 MP camera, flash, microphone for the camera, another Lenovo logo and bottom on both sides of the hole for stereo speakers, it's not for nothing that it's called Music Lemon.The dimensions of the smartphone are as follows: 141 mm high, 70.5 mm wide, and almost 8 mm thick. The weight is 128g. I think that the figures are good, since the battery has a capacity of 2300 mAh, and they still fit it there. And yes, it's removable. Here on the right there is a recess for removing the back cover. Below it is the battery in the company of two slots for SIM cards and a slot for an SD card up to 64 Gb. What about the sims. There are two models of this phone: K30-W and K30-T, so the W model supports both 3G and 4G with one SIM card, and the second one only works with 2G, but the T model is designed for Chinese networks, so you need to be careful and remember this moment.

Now I want to pay attention to design. It’s a pity that we don’t have a lemon model on our review, since it is she who reflects the concept and feature of this phone, something in the spirit: youthful, bright, loud. However, white, even at the edges a little pearlescent, the model can also show where this smartphone is strong.And you don’t have to look for a strong side, it screams right in the very name: Music. The device has such technology as Waves / Max / Audio and with it two stereo speakers, which makes the sound loud and most importantly clear. Unfortunately, no matter how much I try, I will not be able to reliably convey the sound of the device to you, so just take my word for it that the sound is unrealistically cool.

In my opinion, the parameters that this smartphone swung at are met here. So no complaints, everything is fair.

The display here is 5-inch with HD resolution, the pixel density is 294 ppi per inch. The screen has an IPS matrix. The viewing angles are 178 degrees which is great and if you rotate it I think you can see for yourself that the picture quality is good. Also in the settings there is a good margin of brightness and the screen is very readable in the sun.

The front camera comes with a resolution of 2 megapixels, while the main one is 8 megapixels. The camera has autofocus, face detection, touch focus, digital zoom, LED - flash. Pictures are ordinary, nothing extraordinary or beyond the scope of this class of devices. You will definitely be able to capture something with this phone, and with good lighting, these photos will come out very high quality.

The gadget is powered by a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor with a clock speed of 1.2 GHz and an Adreno 306 graphics chip. In some 3D games, the phone still slows down, but I think no one expects space work from it. And in addition to toys, the device works very well and smartly. The RAM here is 1 Gb, the built-in memory is 16, which, of course, not all will get to you. As I said, the amount of memory can be expanded with an SD card.

Lenovo K3 Music Lemon runs on Android 4.4.4 (KitKat) operating system with Lenovo's proprietary shell - Vibe 2.0. The interface is bright and rich. The menu is responsive. On the screen of the icon, on top of the curtain with a quick setting of parameters. In general, everything is as it should be. This phone supports interfaces such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. What the user will definitely appreciate is the support for LTE. From navigation, of course, GPS and GLONASS work.

Outcome:

K3 Music Lemon is a gadget for all those who love something bright, who like to listen to music, play a little, talk on the phone. Those. it is aimed at the youth segment of the market.Also, this smartphone will be a panacea for someone who cannot or does not want to spend a lot of money on flagships for some reason, but he also does not want to buy an antediluvian device.In general, I can confirm the title of the “killer” of state employees assigned to him. This smartphone does not have any cool bells and whistles, as in principle, in any budget device, but it copes with its main duties with high quality. Moreover, all this is offered at an affordable price, which is noticeably lower than that of smartphones competing with Lenovo K3 Music Lemon. And it is 100% worth the money invested in it. So here he is, our hero of today's review ..

What did not like

asphalt 8 rides a little worse compared to Nokia 1520, but the price of that one is 120% more-)

What did you like

The camera is good, the Russian localization is normal, it doesn’t scare anything. very smart phone with no complaints. The games are playable.

What did not like

Stock firmware, American (flat) charging included.

What did you like

Big, bright, light, nimble. Features for his money are just excellent.

What did not like

no retail sale

What did you like

characteristics please for this money

What did not like

Camera - pixels, cute, sharpness.
Battery - from 10.00 the navigator is constant, the Internet is a little, the conversation is 38 minutes.
At 19.00 I got lost.
Sound - conversational speaker wanted Buttons not illuminated - graft for a week

What did you like

Everything good is true

What did not like

Pretty slippery body. Separate applications periodically begin to consume RAM excessively (does it feel like they are writing their own cache there?), Which causes sluggish work. Strange operation of the vibration signal: for sms, some very short-term vibration goes on (unlike other notifications) and you often miss them. How to fix it in the settings did not find. Who can help - I will be grateful! :)

What did you like

Value for money, removable battery, two sim cards, memory card, EXCELLENT screen, good cameras.

What did not like

1. The camera, of course, is not ice (different software options have been tested). Even inferior to samsung galaxy s4. I would compare it with galaxy s3 mini.
2. The battery runs out after 3-4 hours of Internet use. Eats the screen the most.
3. But the charging time from a USB laptop is offered for 10 hours !!! (I'll try to charge from the outlet, although charging from fast currents is not very good)

What did you like

1. Large screen with good resolution. 2. No problem pulling video from GoPro with maximum resolution

What did not like

Well, except for the support of the Russian language

What did you like

Screen, phone performance, RAM, sound, assembly

What did not like

The back cover cracks

What did you like

Large fhd screen, sound, performance. There are full 2 ​​sims + memory card. And not either the 2nd SIM, or memory.

What did not like

I would like a little better sound.

What did you like

The main advantage for me is the size, it sits very well in my hand. Screen. At first glance, it seems that there is not enough brightness, in fact, everything is fine. The anti-reflective coating works very well in the sun. 4G catches perfectly, also pleased with Wi-Fi. The camera is excellent for its price range. Performance. Removable lid and microSD slot that competitors don't have.

What did not like

Of the shortcomings, only a quickly discharging battery and the lack of headphones in the kit.

What did you like

Very cool and fans of the game should buy it. Pulls MKX, Asphalt 8 (at maximum speed) and Real Racing 3 without lags

What did not like

Everything is fine. But if there was a 6.5-inch screen ...)))

What did you like

works like clockwork. No freezes or glitches. Responds very well to fingers. I have an 8-core Cube tablet, it works much dumber. I took it as a phone with infrequent use of the Internet, but in fact it turned out that I was replacing my computer with it at work. I use evernote + google contacts + clipper - the whole bunch is synchronized with the desktop, everything is typed and synchronized instantly. Very satisfied. Anywhere in the city I can get up and work like at a computer.

What did not like

although the RAM is 2 gigabytes, no more than 900 MB are available in the operating mode, everything else is devoured by the system, so it's a shame ...

What did you like

High-quality phone, works quickly, for half a year of use, not a single freeze, not any failures!

What did not like

out of the box there was no Russian language, I had to reflash it myself, I didn’t notice any obvious defects and shortcomings. What I didn’t like

I didn’t find any flaws, there were flaws with the firmware, but this can always be fixed and it’s not a problem, I think many people already know how to flash phones based on the MTK Chip

What did you like

There are no lags at all and it cannot be, the Mediatek MT6752 processor is just super cool and the Mali-T760MP2 video chip is also one of the top ones, Screen 5.5 inches + OGS "One Glass Solution" Camera 13 + 5 = 18 megapixels: D no no it's not: D! main 13 front 5 megapixels

Recently, we introduced our readers and subscribers to one of the most long-awaited smartphones from Lenovo - the K3 Note model. Now we want to introduce you to this smartphone in detail in the text part of our review.

We also recently announced the start of sales of Lenovo K3 Note in the so-called musical version of Teana. But this article will focus on the standard version of K3 Note, which came to our editors at the end of last month.

Lenovo K3 Note Package Overview

- Smartphone

2A charger with an adapter for our sockets (bonus from the seller)

Micro USB cable

User guide

Warranty card

Protective film and silicone case as a gift from the seller

As for the delivery set, it is very standard, especially if you do not take into account the bonuses from the seller.

Overview of the appearance of Lenovo K3 Note

The gadget is made in a polycarbonate case, the front panel of which is covered with protective glass.

At the bottom of the front panel, we see 3 standard touch buttons that are not backlit. And this is a rather strange decision for Lenovo, because in our opinion this is not an area where you can save a lot and which can be neglected.

In the upper part of the front panel there is a speaker, a peephole of a 5-megapixel camera, a light and proximity sensor module.

The panel itself is made in black, so that when the screen is off, it looks like a single unit.

The back cover is made of matte plastic, pleasant to the touch. Fingerprints are almost invisible on it.

On the very rear panel, in its upper left corner, there is a rectangular peephole of the main 13-megapixel camera and a dual LED flash below it. Slightly to the right, we see cutouts for a second microphone for noise reduction and an external speaker. The manufacturer's logo is located in the center of the panel.

On the right side of the smartphone, we see the volume rocker and the power button below it.

At the top end of the Lenovo K3 Note settled: a micro-USB port and a standard 3.5mm headphone or headset jack.

On the bottom of the device: only the main microphone.

The assembly of the Lenovo K3 Note is quite high-quality, and, despite the materials used, the smartphone case does not have backlashes and creaks.

The back cover is removed quite easily, and a special adhesive tape is glued to its back so that it does not sag at the top. Under the cover, we found a removable battery for the claimed 3000 mAh, 2 slots for microSIM SIM cards (one of them supports only 2G networks, and the second 2G/3G/4G) and a microSD memory card slot. There is only one radio module in the handset, so when calling from one and SIM-cards, you will be unavailable on the second one. The external speaker is covered with a mesh, so there is no reason to worry about dirt or dust getting into it.

In general, the device sits comfortably in the hand, and the ergonomics are excellent. The weight of the smartphone is also comfortable and is 146 grams, dimensions are 152.5x76.3x8.5 mm.

Compared to other devices, Lenovo K3 Note visually practically does not differ from , except that the body of K3 Note is slightly thicker. When compared with the iOcean M6752, the new product from Lenovo turned out to be a little more elegant, but we did not notice any difference with the iOcean M6752, except for the design itself.

The design of the Lenovo K3 Note is not the most interesting in comparison with the above models, but not the most boring either. Although we did not expect anything else from this manufacturer.

Lenovo K3 Note display overview

The smartphone has a 5.5-inch IPS OGS display with Full HD resolution (1920x1080p, 401 ppi). The touch test showed us support for up to 5 simultaneous touches. The viewing angles of the Lenovo K3 Note screen are excellent, due to the absence of an air gap between the protective glass and the screen. The smartphone has a good margin of brightness, although it does not quite reach the iOcean M6752 and Jiayu S3 in this parameter. However, problems in using the Lenovo K3 Note in terms of the screen should not arise. (Details in the video)

Interface and software platform

Lenovo K3 Note is running pre-installed operating system Android 5.0 Lollipop with proprietary shell Vibe UI2.5. We really liked the shell, especially the design of the modified shortcuts and their organization. The response from the touchscreen is instant, there are no lags and slowdowns at all.

Touch buttons perform traditional functions - call the menu, home and back.

It should be noted in the menu the possibility of updating over the air and the availability of power saving modes. The menu also contains various smart functions, for example, unlocking with a double tap, and others. We also focus on the presence of MaxxAudio settings in the drop-down menu, which we have already seen earlier in the K3 model.

The ability to transfer data in Lenovo K3 Note is limited only by the presence of Bluetooth 4.0, since Hotknot and NFC are absent here.

At the moment, the manufacturer has not released an official Russian-language firmware. On the w3bsit3-dns.com forum, you can download a custom version of the firmware with support for the Russian language, but its stability leaves much to be desired. In addition, the over-the-air update function may not be available with it. (Details in the video)

Testing Lenovo K3 Note in benchmarks

As we said earlier, Lenovo K3 Note is running Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system. A 64-bit 8-core MT6752 processor with a clock frequency of 1.7 GHz is responsible for the operation of the device, and a 2-core Mali-T760 video accelerator is responsible for the graphics. The amount of RAM was 2 GB, built-in - 16 GB, with about 11.5 GB available to the user.

Thanks to all this powerful stuffing in Antutu v5.7, Lenovo K3 Note scores about 43 thousand points, but everyone understands that the Antutu test is synthetic and these numbers are different for everyone (some 46 thousand scored). Although this result was quite expected, because we have already tested devices on similar hardware earlier.

Graphics testing in 3DMark showed 6709 points, and in Epic Citadel 41.6 fps at full screen resolution, which is also not surprising.

In practice, when testing the Lenovo K3 Note in the Asphalt-8 game, there were no problems - the device coped with this game perfectly at maximum settings. At the same time, after 10 minutes of the game, the device became warm as expected, although the temperature of the case remained comfortable for holding the smartphone in your hands.

Testing built-in sensors and GPS (details in the video)

This gadget contains the following sensors: an accelerometer, a magnetic field sensor, a gyroscope, a spatial orientation sensor, a gravity sensor, linear acceleration and vector rotation sensor, as well as a light and proximity sensor.

When testing GPS, we found that the Lenovo K3 Note, after a cold start, connects to satellites almost instantly. However, GLONASS support was not found in the smartphone.

Camera testing

The main camera, located on the back of the case, has a resolution of 13 megapixels. There is every reason to believe that the OV13850 module from OmniVision is used as a sensor.

The camera interface is not quite standard. In the photo settings, we see the ability to change the aspect ratio, white balance, ISO sensitivity, as well as the imposition of various artistic effects and many other functions. Whereas in the video settings we can change the shooting quality (maximum - Full HD), focus mode and activate stabilization. For photos, HDR mode and panoramic shooting are available.
Photo examples
Day shot :

Night shooting :

Sources

A 5 megapixel module is used as a front camera. And in general, our impressions of the cameras are positive, although we would call the overall level average, because. in our reviews there were smartphones with much better cameras (). On the other hand, it would be reckless to expect something more from Lenovo from devices in this price segment, since other models are provided for photo enthusiasts in the company's lineup ().

Battery test

As we have already said, the declared battery capacity of Lenovo K3 Note is 3000 mAh. And this seems to be true, since the device scored 6556 points in the Antutu battery test application, which pleased us. Indeed, in the same program, Jiayu S3 with the same battery capacity is gaining almost 1000 points less.

As expected, in the Epic Citadel Guide Tour mode, the Lenovo K3 Note worked for just over 5.5 hours, and this is the leader in terms of performance among all the competitors we tested.

Sound

This line of smartphones from Lenovo is positioned as a musical one, and this is evidenced by the presence of an additional MaxxAudio sound settings menu. Previously, we checked all the checkboxes in the settings to improve the sound quality, both in the headphones and from the external speaker.

Of course, the video review will not reveal all the subtleties of the sound of this device, but we can safely say that the sound in Lenovo K3 Note is simply gorgeous. And one can only guess what the sound of the smartphone will be like, in the version that is equipped with an external ceramic speaker on the back of the case.

Conclusion and summing up

Let's list the advantages:

1) The cost of the device.
Since 899 yuan for a device with such filling, from famous brand, can definitely be considered a gift, especially against the background of the price of the main competitors.

2) Camera.
Yes, although it is not the most outstanding, but in this price segment it is a very good option, believe me.

3) Sound, especially from an external speaker.

4) Battery capacity and autonomy.

Note the disadvantages:

1) Lack of official Russian support.

2) Lack of illumination of touch buttons.

There were no other unambiguous shortcomings in Lenovo K3 Note, and if the first of these is excluded by the release of the official firmware in Russian, then the second, in our opinion, you can get used to.

It's hard to say which of the main competitors will be the best candidate to buy - Lenovo K3 Note, Jiayu S3, iOcean MT6752, Ecoo e04 Aurora Plus or . Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, as well as differences in design and cost. However, our editors definitely liked the Lenovo K3 Note, and we can safely recommend it for purchase.

Video review Lenovo K3 Note

In conclusion of the review, we present all the characteristics of Lenovo K3 Note:

• Device type: smartphone
• Body materials: plastic, glass
• Operating system: Android 5.0 Lollipop with Vibe UI2.5 shell
• Networks: 2G:GSM B2/3/8, 3G: WCDMA B1/2/5/8, 3G: TD-SCDMA B34/39, 4G:TD-LTE B38/39/40/41, 4G: FDD-LTE B1 /3/7MHz
• Processor: 64 bit, 8 cores, MediaTek MT6752
• Video accelerator: 2-core Mali-T760MP2
• RAM: 2 GB
• Storage Memory: 16 GB + microSD slot
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi (a / b / g / n /), Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB connector (USB 2.0) for charging / synchronization, 3.5 mm for a headset
• Applications: FM radio, MaxxAudio sound setting
• Screen: capacitive, IPS 5.5"" with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, OGS
• Cameras: 13 MP (4128x3096 pixels), autofocus, dual flash Dual-Led (dual tone), Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR, panorama, video 1080p@30fps + 5 MP (frontal)
• Navigation: GPS, A-GPS
• Battery: removable, capacity 3000 mAh
• Dimensions: 152.5x76.3x8.5 mm
• Weight: 146g

Group Purchase at GearBeast:

Coupon - "LK3NOTE"

Total cost - $157.98

We wish you pleasant viewing and shopping!

With uv. Andrey Kovtun

A removable back cover also covers the ends of the smartphone: the control keys are located on this cover. The camera eye is located in the upper left corner, below it is a two-segment flash. The speaker grid is located on the top right of the back of the cover. Soft-touch coating: it scratches easily, but it lies well in the hand. Under the cover is a battery compartment, a microSD slot and two microSIM slots. At the top end there is a microUSB port and an audio output.
On the right side are the power button and volume rocker. The key travel is quite clear.
Well, this smartphone is next to the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge + and the solid Lenovo Vibe P1 (its review will be coming soon).
The phone lies well in the hand, it looks, in my opinion, not bad. Yes, it is unremarkable, but it looks decent: such a normal workhorse. With a yellow cover, by the way, it looks more interesting. The lid snaps on tightly, does not creak when pressed. Control buttons - touch, located on the bottom panel. They are marked inconspicuously, well, I was surprised that they are not highlighted at all. Well, at least touch, not screen - thanks for that.

Second desktop.

Notification area.

Notifications can be moved down - quick toggles will appear. They are not edited.

Lock window with audio player widget.

List of running tasks with a button to unload all applications from memory.

Themes are customizable, as usual with Lenovo, and there are hundreds of both free and paid themes available.

For example, here is a theme that I liked.

Call window when the screen is off. You can reject a call with a message via SMS, you can also set a reminder to call back in 10 minutes or 1 hour - this is convenient.

Recording is available during the call.

The connection quality is not bad, the subscribers heard me normally, as well as I heard them. There seems to be no noise cancellation here: when I called while standing on a busy street, I could not be heard well. Mobile Internet and Wi-Fi showed normal speed for these test conditions.

Reinforcing earphones-"carnations" Myst Nail2 - mediocre: the sound is flat, the highs are not bad, but there is not even a hint of bass. The volume is insufficient.

Plantronics BackBeat Pro full-size headphones in wired mode are tolerable: the bass is surprisingly good, but the sound is a bit muffled, the highs are very, very so-so. Video 4K videos cannot be played back normally, it slows down, FullHD videos play smoothly, without brakes. (What else do you need, you ask?)
Determination of coordinates The cold start is quite fast - in 15 seconds. It determines the coordinates well, there were no problems with navigation.

Status bar options.

Settings for any gestures. Double-clicking the volume button when the screen is off causes the smartphone to take a photo.

The smartphone can turn on by double tapping, can launch the camera with the "V" gesture.

Phone application settings.

Scheduled on/off is a useful feature.

phone memory. With 16 GB on board, you can’t really clear up, but a memory card is supported here, so there are no problems.

Settings.

Photo examples. (All are clickable.)






















Video example.

By camera. In my opinion, for a budget model it shoots very decently, especially since for budget women it is often the camera that is the weakest point. And here it is quite good. True, I would like a little more contrast and color saturation, but this can be adjusted in the phone itself. IN good conditions captures lighting well. In bad conditions, it happens that it misses focusing, so it's better to take several shots. The video is average in quality, but also not "horror-horror" at all. I note that the location of the camera in the upper left corner of the back cover often leads to the fact that the lens is partially covered with a finger when shooting - this must be monitored. System and performance Data on CPU-Z.

Sensors.

AnTuTu test.

Compared to the flagships, the index is two times smaller. But it was as expected. Moreover, in general, the index is very decent. For the same Cubot H1 (costs the same money), the index is half that in this test.

Geekbench test.

Well, the overall index for PCMark.

Purely practical, the smartphone is quite fast, for ordinary tasks its performance is enough. There are lags, but they are not critical, and for a budget level, the smartphone works, as I think, even faster than expected. I compare with classmates in terms of price - this one, in my opinion, wins. Time battery life The battery here is quite decent, but compared to the flagships of top manufacturers, power consumption is not very optimized. The declared battery capacity is 3000 mAh. According to the device, approximately such a capacity turned out to be - everything is honest. Internet. The brightness is set to a comfortable 60%, wireless networks are turned on, the page is updated in the browser every 30 seconds. Almost exactly 9 o'clock. That's pretty much what I assumed. Video. Wireless communications are disabled, the brightness of the player is set to a comfortable 10th level (15 in total), the video of the series is spinning in the MK Player in a cycle. 9 hours 34 minutes. Reading. The brightness is set to a comfortable 50%, all wireless networks are turned off, a book is scrolling in AlReader. 11 hours 13 minutes. With normal use, the smartphone confidently lives one day even under a good load. Two days - with a not too heavy load and optimization of energy consumption. In general - normal: about as expected. However, I note that the same Samsung Galaxy S6 edge + with a 5.7 display, QHD resolution and a battery of the same capacity lives quietly for two days on a single charge. However, let's not forget that it costs five times more. So in this case, for such a price and such a configuration, everything is quite normal here with battery life. Observations at work and conclusions I have always had a good attitude towards Lenovo products, and, frankly, they have never disappointed me. They now have very interesting smartphones / tablets in the business segment (there will be a review of the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 3 Pro tablet and the Lenovo Vibe P1 smartphone soon), and in the budget segment they have very few competitors in terms of price-quality ratio, despite the large the flow of smartphones from new Chinese brands in the range of $100-200. I really liked this model. It's good that I was asked to study it after the Lenovo Lemon K3 review. Because the Lemon K3 at a price of about $120 is a model with various compromises, but the Lenovo K3 Note for its $140 demonstrates a very good balance, and this is a smartphone that I myself would calmly use - it is really very, very good. Especially for such money. It worked quite steadily for me, out of the usual smartphone problems - on 3D games after a while the back cover in the chipset area heated up, but somewhere up to 40-43 degrees, which is quite tolerable. In other applications, I did not notice heating. This firmware has its advantages and disadvantages, but, in my opinion, it can be safely used, it is not terrible at all (as Xiaomi often does). Well, in addition, for those who like to experiment, there are hundreds of different other firmwares at your service. In my opinion, this is one of the most interesting smartphones among the budget ones: a really good FullHD display, an inexpensive but powerful chipset, quite tolerable graphics, good sound, a normal camera, very good battery life, two SIM cards and a memory card - for $140 the option is very attractive. Now, when I am asked to advise a budget, but decent smartphone, I advise this particular model. That's what I really liked. P.S. In the comments to the review, they immediately began to ask what would I choose, all other things being equal - this model or the recently appeared Xiaomi Redmi Note 3? I answer. Of course, I would choose Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 - it is cooler in almost all respects (especially in materials and design, as well as in terms of operating time), but it costs a third more. And if there is a task to save as much as possible, but take a really good phone - Lenovo K3 Note, in my opinion, suits this task very well.

Despite the fact that the Lenovo K3 Note smartphone is aimed at the budget segment, it has a large high-quality screen and quite powerful stuffing. Its cost today is only about $ 110, leaving behind all competitors with similar characteristics.

Let's start the review with the configuration and appearance of the smartphone, then we will take a closer look at its technical characteristics, in the end we will summarize all the pros and cons and draw conclusions about whether it is worth buying it.

1. Equipment

The smartphone is packed in a small box made of recycled environmentally friendly cardboard

In addition to the smartphone itself, the package includes several useless brochures, a USB cable and a charger with a Chinese plug, since this model is not officially supplied to Europe. But sellers often invest in an adapter for a euro plug, although you can buy it yourself for mere pennies.

Current charger is already familiar to such smartphones 2 A. This should allow you to charge your smartphone quickly enough, but we'll talk about it a little later.

2. Appearance

The front of the Lenovo K3 Note is a regular black “brick” with rounded corners.

At the bottom of the screen are three touch buttons typical of modern Android smartphones (application list, home and back), and on the right at the bottom there is a small microphone hole.

Unfortunately, the touch buttons are not backlit, and this is one of the few drawbacks of the smartphone, although not so significant, given its cost.

At the top of the screen there is a speaker, a camera eye, an ambient light sensor, a proximity sensor, an event indicator, and on the top end there is a Micro-USB connector and a 3.5 mm audio jack.

From a good angle, the smartphone already looks more interesting and you can see that all its corners and edges are rounded, which makes it pleasant to use.

The smartphone is sold in three main colors - with a black, yellow and white back cover. Two smartphones came to our review at once - black and yellow.

The back cover is made of matte polycarbonate, pleasant to the touch, and all colors have a pearly tint, which makes the appearance of the smartphone much more pleasant and expensive. Both black and yellow look really cool.

The back cover also has rounded corners and edges.

It is very convenient to hold a smartphone in your hand.

At the top of the rear panel is a camera with flash, a music speaker, and another microphone for noise reduction.

The flash consists of two twin LEDs, which is good and makes it stronger. This can be seen in the image below, where we also managed to capture a beautiful lemony pearl color. As they say, feel that citrus

The power button and volume rocker are conveniently located on the right side.

The left side is absolutely clean, there are no elements on it.

In general, the smartphone looks pretty good.

In addition, it is incredibly thin and elegant.

The design of the Lenovo K3 Note left us with a positive impression. You can put a solid four for it, making a discount on a relatively flimsy lid.

And this is what the device looks like under the cover.

The radio antenna is on the bottom and everything else is on top.

The smartphone has 2 slots for SIM-cards of Micro-SIM format and a separate slot for a memory card of microSD format. This is indisputable advantage in comparison with the now "fashionable" hybrid slots, which allow you to install either 2 SIM cards or 1 SIM card and a memory card. Many smartphones of popular Chinese brands are equipped with hybrid slots.

The 3000 mAh battery takes up a large area of ​​the smartphone.

But it has a very small thickness and is a lithium polymer, which has a positive effect on the thickness and weight of the smartphone itself.

We have finished with the design and construction, let's move on to the technical specifications.

3. Screen

The screen of the smartphone has a diagonal of 5.5″, which is currently optimal for devices designed to replace smartphones and tablets. The matrix, made using IPS technology, has a resolution of 1920 × 1080 (Full HD). The screen is very clear, bright, with excellent viewing angles.

On such a screen, surfing the Internet, watching videos and playing games is a pleasure. It has a good oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating, fingers glide over it well, and fingerprints are almost invisible. But since the screen is protected by ordinary tempered glass, which can be scratched, it is advisable to use a high-quality film or protective glass as an additional protection.

The touchscreen has excellent responsiveness and can handle up to 5 simultaneous touches (multi-touch), which is mainly used in games.

4. Processor, video card and memory

The heart of the smartphone is a modern 8-core Mediatek MT6752 processor with a frequency of 1.7 GHz and a powerful Mali-T760 graphics card. The amount of RAM is 2 GB, which will be enough for any tasks. The amount of built-in flash memory is 16 GB, which is the best indicator for today. It also supports the installation of a microSD memory card, which can be used both for user files (photos, videos, music) and for expanding the smartphone's internal memory for installing programs and games.

5. Real performance

In the most popular AnTuTu test, the smartphone scores about 45,000 points.

Such performance will be enough for modern demanding games at high graphics settings. It should be noted that within $200 we were unable to find a smartphone with higher performance, while the model in question costs only about $110.

Lenovo K3 Note is the most optimal smartphone for today in terms of price / performance ratio and it will be an excellent choice for gamers.

6. Wireless technologies

From wireless technologies, the smartphone supports:

• WiFi (b/g/n)
• Bluetooth 4.0
• 2G (GSM 900/1800/1900 MHz)
• 3G (WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100MHz)
• 4G (LTE 1800/2100/2600 MHz)
• GPS/A-GPS (optional GLONASS)

We tested the Wi-Fi and the results pleasantly surprised us. It works well through 4 (!) walls from the access point. The signal from the router installed in the apartment is confidently caught even in the elevator! We have never seen such power of Wi-Fi on any smartphone. The smartphone can work as an access point (distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi) and exchange data with other devices using Wi-Fi Direct technology.

It is also worth noting that all European and Russian LTE bands are supported, unlike many smartphones from popular Chinese brands, where LTE bands are limited by Chinese standards and you will not be able to connect to all providers.

As for GLONASS support, the MTK6752 chipset supports it at the hardware level. In native Chinese firmware, it is disabled at the software level. But sellers often offer a flashed smartphone with GLONASS enabled. In any case, you can reflash your smartphone and enable GLONASS support yourself. This is the price of low cost, pardon the tautology

The GPS itself works well. For some 15 seconds, the smartphone manages to find about 10 satellites. With GLONASS turned on, navigation is just great, the smartphone sees more than 20 satellites. In good weather, satellites are caught even in the center of a small room.

Unfortunately, there is no NFC support, but who uses it?

7. Sensors

The set of sensors is standard:

• light sensor (for auto-brightness)
• proximity sensor (turns off the screen when talking)
• accelerometer (for navigation and control in games)
• electronic compass (for navigation)
• orientation sensor (for screen auto-rotation)

In general, there is everything you need.

8. Rear camera

The rear camera for photo / video shooting has a resolution of 13 megapixels (4160 × 3120), equipped with autofocus and dual flash. Autofocus works at an average speed, the flash is quite bright. With good lighting, you can get quite decent pictures. The smartphone is especially good at macro photography. Video shot in FullHD also turns out to be clear and beautiful, the sound quality in it is also pleasing.

But in the evening and in a darkened room, noise appears in the photo, and the video comes out a little blurry.

IN overall quality rear camera is above average, but it is still inferior to those installed in more expensive models.

The camera shutter release can be assigned to a hardware volume key. There is also a quick capture function by double-clicking the volume key when the screen is off. Of course, there are various additional effects and simple editing tools.

9. Front camera

The resolution of the front camera is 5 MP (2560×1920). The quality of the video call does not cause any complaints. Selfies in good lighting are great.

In low light conditions, noise also appears in the photo, which is expected from a smartphone camera. But when using additional function backlighting with the help of the screen, the situation can be slightly corrected.

10. Sound

The sound of the built-in speaker is of good quality, but not very loud. Its volume can be called average in comparison with other smartphones. For purebred Chinese, it is worse and quieter, for musical smartphones it is noticeably louder. In general, a sort of strong middle peasant.

In headphones, the sound quality is not satisfactory, and the volume margin is slightly higher. Most users will be satisfied.

The quality of the earpiece is on good level, the interlocutor is heard well, the sound is quite loud and clear. The interlocutor also hears everything well, so there are no complaints about the quality of the microphone either.

The smartphone also has a radio that works when headphones are connected.

11. Battery and autonomy

The battery capacity is 3000 mAh, which is the average for today. We would say that this is the necessary minimum for a powerful modern smartphone. Of course, there are models with a 4000-5000 mAh battery, but there are not many of them and they either cost much more or have a weaker filling. But it can be worse, for example, HTC smartphones, despite their rather high cost, have a frankly weak battery (2000-2500 mAh).

We must pay tribute to the engineers of Lenovo, struggling to optimize power consumption. With such a powerful filling, Lenovo K3 Note withstands the heat of the day and survives until the evening. At the same time, smartphones of popular Chinese brands with the same characteristics and battery live 30% less and do not reach the coveted outlet ...

In continuous use, the battery lasts for 11 hours of screen reading, 9 hours of video playback, or 4 hours of gaming. The smartphone is charged from the native charger in only about 2.5 hours.

12. Dimensions and weight

The dimensions of the smartphone are 153×76×8 mm and its weight is 145 grams, which is slightly less than most smartphones with the same screen size. In general, Lenovo K3 Note will easily fit in any, even a small handbag, while replacing a tablet.

13. Operating system and applications

From the factory, the smartphone comes with the Android 5 operating system, which supports over-the-air updates to Android 6. Like all Lenovo smartphones, this model has a richly customizable Vibe UI graphical shell that makes the interface more beautiful, more convenient and more functional. You can customize almost anything.

There are also all the standard Android applications and some branded Lenovo applications, of which an excellent music player with rich functionality and an equalizer can be noted.

The downside of the factory firmware is a large number of pre-installed Chinese applications, which require rooting to remove. Although this is not a problem, since any student can master simple instructions from the Internet.

Many sellers offer a smartphone already with an updated rooted Android 6 firmware, from which unnecessary Chinese applications have already been removed. This solution is suitable for completely inexperienced users who do not want to bother with the firmware, but get the device immediately ready for use. In this case, the firmware will be official, without any problems and glitches.

14. Additional features

Additional features of the software filling of the smartphone include several interesting and useful functions.

• advanced battery saving mode
• recording telephone conversations
• smart brightness (increase screen brightness in sunlight)
• support for connecting flash drives (USB OTG)
• double tap screen unlock
• smart menu (favorites bar)
• customization of indicator colors (depending on the event)

15. Accessories

First, we want to note that the silicone bumper and glass that sellers offer at a small discount or as a gift are of poor quality. The silicone case can loosely fit the smartphone, which makes it uncomfortable and ugly. Unfortunately, we didn't take a photo. cheap plastic glass wears out quickly and has poor slip, cheap film also does not have an oleophobic coating and is unpleasant to use. So don't be fooled by such discounts and gifts.

If the design of a smartphone seems rustic to you or you just want to reliably protect it from damage, then we recommend that you pay attention to high-quality cases from the iPaky brand. Despite the low price ($5-7), they even have solid packaging.

The cover itself is made of high-quality, very pleasant black silicone and has a polycarbonate frame in 10 (!) different colors (gold, silver, black, gray, green, red, yellow, pink, white, blue). So everyone can choose the color to their liking.

We got three cases with a frame of the most popular colors: silver, gold, black.

At the back, the case partially copies the design of the iPhone 6. The silicone has smooth stripes at the top and bottom, and a cool texture in the middle. Appearance and tactile sensations are very pleasant.

On the inside, the silicone is smooth and glossy with holes for various items and a thoughtful cutout with a recess for the speaker, which reduces its overlap when the smartphone is on a table, in a pocket or bag.

The case sits on the smartphone like a glove, quite tightly. Thick soft silicone protects your smartphone from physical impacts, and a flexible polycarbonate frame gives it a sophisticated stylish look.

On the front, the case also fits well around the screen of the smartphone.

A small bead gives additional protection to the screen in case of a fall and slightly improves protection against moisture and dust.

The cutouts around the connectors are large enough not to interfere with the connection of charging and headphones. At least we didn't have any problems with it.

Despite the fact that the silicone is quite thick, the smartphone feels quite thin and elegant. We dressed the black smartphone in a case with a silver frame and it became much more solid.

We put a case with a golden frame on the yellow smartphone and it looked not bad either.

But the case with a black frame looks simpler and is more suitable for real men who are not used to flaunting their virtues.

It costs only $3-4 and will reliably protect the smartphone screen from scratches and bumps. At the same time, it does not rub and has excellent sliding.

In this attire, your smartphone will simply not be killed! The main thing is not to overheat it with many hours of games without a break, as budget smartphones do not like this.

16. Pros and cons

Smartphone benefits include:

• low cost
• nice and comfortable design
• large quality screen
• high performance (for demanding games)
• Separate slots for SIM cards and memory cards
• excellent reception of all radio signals
• support for all LTE and GLONASS bands (optional)
• relatively good autonomy
• convenient and functional graphical shell

The disadvantages include:

• lack of illumination of touch buttons
• lack of NFC support
• factory firmware has flaws
• not officially supplied to Europe and the CIS

The rest of the parameters, such as cameras, sound, correspond to most mid-range smartphones, without standing out for the worse or better. Therefore, we do not attribute them to either pluses or minuses of this smartphone.

17. Conclusions

As a conclusion, we want to say for whom this smartphone is suitable.

Lenovo K3 Note is suitable for budget users who need a device that replaces a smartphone and tablet. It is not only a large screen for surfing the Internet and watching videos, but also an optimal price/performance choice for gamers.

We think this smartphone is more than worth the price. The main competitors cannot offer anything better for the same money, besides Lenovo is still a European brand, and not a purebred Chinese.

18. Where to buy

The smartphone is not officially shipped to Europe and CIS countries. It has two modifications T50-3s for China and T50-T5 for India. They differ only in a small change in the firmware. In the T50-3s model, LTE bands that are not used in China are software disabled. But it is easy to install firmware from T50-T5, which does not have such restrictions. Many sellers immediately offer the T50-3s model with firmware from T50-T5, also at a lower price.

19. Additional links

Below you can download full-sized examples of photos and videos taken on the Lenovo K3 Note in different conditions.

Smartphone Lenovo K6 Note
Smartphone Lenovo Phab Plus
Smartphone Lenovo Vibe S1